SURF Conference Recap

On behalf of the World Road Association (PIARC), the Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) would like to thank you for attending the 8th Symposium on Pavement Surface Characteristics (SURF2018) held at the Brisbane Convention Center. Judging by the happy faces and the positive feedback the conference was a great success and we really appreciated your wonderful support and participation.

With an attendance of 150 delegates from 20 countries, the Symposium continued on from the successful ARRB International Conference. The program included almost 40 session presentations which highlighted various aspects of the Symposium’s theme ‘Vehicle to road connectivity’. Insightful presentations from our plenary speakers and an entertaining keynote address by Dr John Ferris provided an in-depth perspective into surface characteristics and their measurement from around the globe. Representatives from the tyre industry also provided a look into the pavement surface from the tyres point of view.

 One of the highlights of the Symposium was an interview with Australian motoring legend, Allan Moffat, and Peter Boylan who discussed the importance of safety and the interaction between the pavement surface and tyres from the point of view of a racing car driver. The Symposium concluded with a lively panel discussion on the measurement of pavement surface characteristics in the future which generated significant audience participation.

 With strong support from delegates, exhibitors and presenters alike the Symposium was a triumph! We couldn’t have held an event such as this without the support of our sponsors, so a big thank you goes to our gold sponsor Greenwood Engineering and to the Transport Research Board (TRB) who were a supporting partner. From informative sessions to great networking functions and social events the Symposium delivered. 

Please enjoy the images from the three day Symposium.